The origin of the word rheumatism comes from the Greek word "rheuma", meaning flow. The word "rheumatism" is defined in the dictionary of the Turkish Language Association as follows: "The general name of painful diseases that manifest themselves in the muscles and especially in the joints."
Joint rheumatisms are divided into two as inflammatory and non-inflammatory.
Among non-inflammatory joint rheumatism, the most important is arthrosis, that is, calcification. In this type of rheumatism, there is no inflammation in the joint, but there is wear and tear. There is narrowing of the joint space, cartilage destruction, decrease in joint fluid and bone protrusion formation. When arthritis affects the small joints of the hand, it likes to affect the distal joints, and with this feature, it distinguishes itself from inflammatory rheumatism. Since it is not possible to heal completely after arthritis occurs and progresses, it seems more valuable to have a preventive lifestyle from the beginning. To prevent arthritis, regular exercise, especially walking, cycling and swimming, is recommended. Conscious muscle training strengthens the muscle and relaxes the joint. Maintaining our ideal weight reduces the tendency to arthritis as it eases the load on the joints. It is also important to wear shoes that are suitable for our foot structure, do not have heels, and do not squeeze our feet. Even though we pay attention to all these, there are still genetic predispositions etc. We may get calcification for various reasons. In this case, medication use, therapeutic exercises, joint injections, physical therapy, rehabilitation and surgery options need to be evaluated.
Among other types of non-inflammatory rheumatism, soft tissue rheumatism has a large place. Fibromyalgia is an example of soft tissue rheumatism. It is a disease that greatly affects the quality of life. However, contrary to popular belief, patients recover when they comply with the treatment. Fibromyalgia manifests itself with morning fatigue, weakness, changes in bowel movements, sleep disorders and certain painful points on the body. Its treatment takes a long time. In addition to drug treatment, especially aerobic exercises and psychiatric cognitive behavioral therapies are very effective.
Inflammatory rheumatism causes morning sickness We may encounter symptoms such as nausea, joint pain, pain that wakes us up at night, dry eyes or redness of the eyes, dry mouth, facial discoloration, skin rashes, dryness and hardening of the skin. Inflammatory rheumatisms include diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and spondyloartopathies, gout, 'Behçet's Disease', familial Mediterranean fever, psoriatic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and other connective tissue diseases. In the case of inflammatory rheumatic diseases, it is especially important for the patient to receive medication. In addition, it is important to exercise and diet appropriate to the disease and to be followed up regularly in a health institution.
In rheumatoid arthritis, which is relatively common among inflammatory rheumatic diseases, the small joint involvement in the hand is proximal, that is, the joint involvement in the head, making it easier to differentiate from arthritis.
In ankylosing spondylitis, lower back pain, especially in the mornings and causing stiffness, helps differentiate it from disorders such as arthritis and herniated disc.
In familial Mediterranean fever, the presence of joint pain and abdominal pain in attacks suggests the diagnosis. It brings.
In psoriatic arthritis, we encounter joint pain along with psoriasis lesions on the skin.
In gout, high levels of uric acid in the blood and twenty-four-hour urine, as well as redness, swelling and pain that occurs in attacks, especially affecting the big toe and hand joints, suggest the diagnosis.
In systemic lupus erythematosus, butterfly-like pinkness on the face is striking.
As a result, we should keep in mind that when we have symptoms that make us think of inflammatory or non-inflammatory joint rheumatism, we should consult our family physicians and be evaluated by rheumatology and physical therapy and rehabilitation physicians if deemed necessary. Even if we think we are healthy, we should exercise regularly, maintain our ideal weight and eat healthy. This protects us from diseases including joint rheumatism. It is the correct behavior that will protect you from many diseases.
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